Rail-connecting device.



'x/ C. LENARDIC.

RAIL CONNECTING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. ze. 1911.

l ,23 l 392 I. Patented June 26, 191?.

FIG. 7i I@ DI ab I] ma nomas Ferns cnv Pham-umn, wAsmNcrnN, o, c

UNTED TATES PATENT FFlllGE.

CHARLES LENARDI, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

RAIL-CONNECTING DEVICE.

Application filed February 26, 1917.

railway rails in their operative assembled relations, the structurebeing such as not to require the use of any bolts or screws and readilyoperable by hand without the eme ployment of tools.

A further object of the device is the provision of a rail connectingmeans whereby rails are securely connected together in hand engagementfor use upon the road bed and may be readily disconnected by hand when idesired, the same being especially serviceable for use with temporarytracks, such as those employed for excavators and under similarcircumstances.

With these general objects in view and others that will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and thenclaimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which likedesignating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout theseveral views Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device operativelyarranged connecting two rails together.

Fig. Q is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken upon line Ill-IIIof Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken upon line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the locking plates employed, and,

Fig. 6 is an elevational view partially broken away of one of thelocking pins removed.

'lhe device is illustrated herein in connection with the adjacent endportions of two railway rails 10 and 11 positioned in end Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented d une 2&6, 1921"?.

serial No. 151,084.

engagement with each other as ordinarily employed when positioned intrack formation. The web 1Q of each rail is provided with two transverseslots 13 arranged in the same spaced relations.

Two locking plates 14 of the form best shown in Fig. 5 of the drawingare employed for connecting the rails together, the said plates, eachhaving a fish plate portion 15 with a flanged base 16 for flatlyengaging over the base flange 17 and against the web 12 of the adjacentrail while slots 18 are arranged therein positionable in alinement withthe slots 13 of the adjacent rail web. An extension 19 projects inlongitudinal alinemcnt from the upright portion 15 of each plate 14,parallel arms 20 being carried by said extension perpendicular theretoand adapted for projecting through the slots 13 of the web of theadjacently positioned rail, such as 10, when the slots 18 `of the plateare in alinemcnt with the slots 13 of the web of the rail 11 and alsothrough the slot 1S in the locking plate. rlhis arrangement is bestillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, a locking pin 21 being provided ateach side of the device adjacent the plate portions 15 for insertionthrough perforations 22 in the said arms 20, a head 23 being providedupon the pin 21 at one end thereof. A lever 24 is pivoted to theopposite end of the pin 21 from the head 23 and adapted to be swung atright angles to the said pin for preventing the latter from beingremoved from the opening 22. A serrated heel 25 is provided upon thelever 24 for engagement with the face of the adjacent plate portion 15for retaining the pin in position.

The operation of the device will be understood from this detaileddescription thereof, the positioning of the two plates 14 upon the rails10 and 11 having been set forth as well as the projecting of the arms 20through the slots 13 of the rail web, the pin 21 being readily insertedand retained in position by moving the levers 211 pivotally to pointsperpendicular with respect to the plate portions 15, the pins and platesbeing readily removed from the rails in substantially an oppositemanner, thereby disconnecting the rails.

`What l claim as new is 1. A connector for rails comprising two platemembers oppositely positioned in contact with the opposite faces ofabutting rails, arms carried by each of said members adapted Jforprojecting through the adjacent rails and the adj acently positionedcoperating plate, removable locking pins carried by the said arms andretaining levers pivotedto the said pins having rictional retainingengagement Withthe face ot' the adjacent plate.

2. A device of the class described comprisingin combination with railwayrails adapt-Y ed for end abutment and having equally spaced apart slotsthrough the Webs thereof, securing plates adaptedfor engagement with thesaid rails upon theopposite sides thereof arrangedl with slots inalinement" with the said Web slots, perpendicularly projecting armscarried by the said plates spaced apart a` distance equal to thedistance between all ofA the said` slots and adapted to projectthroughthe alining pairs of slots of the rail Webs and plates, headedpins adapted for locking insertion through the saidy arms, and pivotedretaining levers upon the unheaded ends off said pins having serratedheels adapted for frictional contact with the adjacent plate When thedevice is operatively arranged;

In testimony'whereoflf affix my signature.

CHARLES LENARDI.

Copies ofv this-.patentV may bee-obtained for. five-cents eacl1,.,byad'ressingtheCvommissonerf oftPatents, Washington, D. C.

